Good words – the best art comes when you create from your soul – even when you feel a little less soulful.

Get more out of your art, by making art with your art. Enjoy this snowman book mark on those cold icky days where you just wanna snug in with a good book….or those days you wanna craft and you need a place to hold your spot in a book you’re inspired by.

Last Tuesday we were forecasted to get between 1 to 3″ of snow here in Southern Missouri. Then, for us, it was upped to 2 to 4″. And what did we get? – NOTHING! zip-zero-zilch! {{ps….for any of you playing “words with friends” there’s three “z” words just for you! ha ha}}

We woke up to freezing drizzle yesterday morning, and then it was supposed to stop, but stay gloomy….Perfect snug up in the studio kinda day….and when I looked out – we had 2″ of snow!Not enough to make a snowman…but it’s beautiful and I’ll take it over the blistering hot summer.

Still working on my Soul Garden journal – I’ll begin with that series on Monday.

In the hopes of getting us all a little more organized in the new year plus, these sheets are fun to keep and look back on too, here’s a free January 2013 calendar printable.

I’m setting small *attainable* goals for the new year – For starters, {{aside that there is always a goal to lose weight}} I’m going to have a project called Soul Garden – a soul searching and personal art journal with a theme of the week and quotes. The idea is to have a meaningful word theme a week, with inspiration and prompts to live a more positive life and project kindness and goodness to others. I’ll be sharing some of these pages – and you’re welcome to join me in this journey! I’d love to have you along!

This is also the year I will become a licensed designer! I’m excited to make it happen.

In celebration of the new year,clilck on the photo below (should open up a new window) then right click on the photo below and then click “save picture as”. It’s a free printable for you to write down your thoughts, goals, BLESSINGS of 2012 and reflections….

If you’d like email this list back to me – I’d love to see!

To begin my soul garden journey, I am reflecting on where I’ve been and where I am now. Never in my entire life, have I had so many blessings and sorrows all in the same year. This was the year I lost my Mom. I miss her terribly,It hurts terribly, but I’m thankful that I’ve had Mom’s very bestest friend Donna Sue to lean on, she’s now become my bestest friends and it a priceless jewel!

So many other things to be thankful for – and I need to keep these as constant reminders too! Sometimes you don’t know how many blessings you’ve had until you list them all…..

I wrote another book Art + Life Combined and it released in September

I had the pleasure of taking Mariah with me to London, visit friends in Stoke On Trent and Knottingham and then spend a couple of days in Paris.

Appeared on the UK Shopping network Create and Craft

Spent time with my Aunt Junie and Cousin Kelly

Taught classes at Stitches and making lots of new friends there

Attended the NAEA convention in NYC and met all kinds of amazing art teachers from all over the world, listened to their stories and shared ideas on how to improve kids lives through art!